Sabaody Archipelago
Shabondy Archipelago is an area close to the Red Line.One Piece Manga - Chapter 491, The Shabondy Archipelago is first mentioned. Though it is called an archipelago, it is actually a massive mangrove forest growing out from middle of the ocean with each tree of the forest serving as an "island" for which people live on.One Piece Manga - Chapter 496, The Shabondy Archipelago is seen. Since it is just a forest and not an island like those found in the Grand Line, it has no magnetic pull for which to affect a Log Pose. Its name comes from the Japanese word Shabon meaning soap, and corresponds to its unique environment wherein soap-like bubbles come out from trees. Due to the place being in close proximity to the part of the Red Line bordering the first half of the Grand Line and the New World, it is a highly visited rest stop for all sorts travelers to prepare before entering the New World. Aside from its unique environment and it being a booming business hub, it is notable for the World Nobles who visit there and a thriving slave trade supported by them. One notable slave group there are the Flying Fish Riders whose headquarters are several kilometers from the area. Geography The Shabondy Archipelago is, in actuality, a massive mangrove forest in the middle of the ocean made up of 79 separate trees known as Yarukiman Mangrove. Their name is a pun on the Japanese phrase," Yaru Ki Manman", which means being pumped up or motivated. The Yarukiman Mangrove trees are the largest mangroves in the world and are strong enough to grow from the bottom of the ocean to the top. They don't sink into ocean during high tide like other mangrove trees, and the texture on their barks has such a distinct look that they resemble large candy canes. Each tree is called a "Grove" and serves as an "island" for which people live on. People can get from one Grove to another via the various bridges built connecting around the many tree roots. Each Yarukiman Mangrove tree is capable of producing a special resin, which is blown into bubbles when the trees "breathe out" through cellular photosynthesis. These bubbles can only exist in and around the Archipelago. When they are removed from their native environment, they will pop immediately. Due to the fact that this knowledge is not widely known outside Shabondy, many of the local shop keepers in the archipelago often sell bubble based merchandise to unsuspecting tourists who don't know that they would be wasting their money on products that easily burst outside the archipelago. The 79 trees are divided into several different areas, with each one dependant on the number of the area. *'1-29': A lawless area where pirates and bounty hunters run amuck *'30-59': The tourist area, filled with amusement parks and souvenier stands as well as shipping areas *'60-69': Local headquarters for the navy and Marines *'70-79': A hotel town The location of the mangrove forest is crucial in the travels through the Grand Line due to its approximation to the only two crossing points on this side of the world. Although there are several paths that traverse the equatorial ocean, the only two points that cross to the other side (Mariejoa and Fishman Island) are on the exact same place, with one at the top of the Red Line and the other in a hole in the depths of the ocean. Because this the only point where one can cross into the New World, the location of the Shabondy Archipelago makes it ideal for anyone who needs to prepare to cross this section of the ocean by either means. Thus, everyone from the high-ranked nobles to the traversing pirates use the Shabondy Archipelago as a rest and preparation point as they look back on their previous journies and prepare to enter the New World. Culture The people native to the Shabondy Archipelago have learned to live both within and alongside the trees and the large bubbles that they create. Each tree houses a different use, many of which are for the various commerce for those who visit the area. Like the trees, the bubbles are also used for many different and varied means, going from transportation devices such as bubble bikes called Bon Chari, to personal hotel rooms, to even special helmets used by the World Nobles to prevent them from breathing the air of commoners. For those who wish to move further along the Grand Line, the archipelago is important in order to stock up on supplies and prepare themselves for the journey to cross the Red Line. Most normal travelers generally stay here and wait until they are given permission to cross the Red Line on foot by Mariejois. The rest, such as pirates, must typically seek "coating mechanics" found around the archipelago to cover their ships in the special resin produced by the trees. It is this resin that allows ships to go underwater to Fishman Island. Due to the proximity of the archipelago to the holy land of Mariejoa, World Nobles are sometimes seen going around the place. While they provide to the archipelago wealth and prosperity, their views and presence in the area supports and legalizes a booming slave trading industry that caters to their desires. Discrimination Pirates frequent the archipelago in order to enter the New World, as well as pick up souvenirs of the first half of the Grand Line, while bounty hunters also run around to try and capture these pirates. Besides the bounty hunters, pirates also are forced to deal with various slave traders in and near the area who capture them and sell them to the nobles for the highest bidder to do whatever they desire. Even the fiercest of pirates are treated like trash after capture, similar to the discrimination felt by the undersea races but brought under control by the bomb collars worn on their body. Fishmen and mermaids also frequent the area due to its proximity to Fishman Island, but must wear disguises to hide their heritage from the nobles, who are notable for their discrimination and usage of slaves purchased nearby. History 800 years ago, after the founding of the World Government, World Nobles would use this island as their base. Technology Everything in this island is bubble-based, one can use a Bon Chari by simply sitting on it. There is also a Bubble Ferris Wheel References External Links *Archipelago - Wikipedia article on archipelagos *Mangrove - Wikipedia article on mangroves Category:Islands